


In the Cold

by octopus_fool



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Khazâd November, M/M, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 01:09:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12806298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/octopus_fool/pseuds/octopus_fool
Summary: It wasn’t Kíli who realised, of course not. As much as Kíli could brighten anybody’s day, he wasn’t particularly good at realising when someone was feeling unhappy.





	In the Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 24 of [Khazâd November](https://a-grump-of-dwarves.tumblr.com/post/166304116735/khaz%C3%A2d-november-2017), the additional prompt was "cold".  
> 

“You’re alive,” Ori said, letting out a breath that felt as if he had been holding it since they left Lake-town and left Kíli behind. He hugged Kíli close, because surely being reunited after one of them had narrowly escaped death was acceptable. Nobody would know how his heart leapt into his throat as Kíli’s arms wrapped around him and his scent filled Ori’s nose.

“Of course I’m alive,” Kíli grinned, but Ori saw the lines in his faces when he pulled away again, lines that only heavy illness would leave in one so young. Kíli glanced around to see that his uncle was busy, having turned his attention to Bofur and Óin. “You wouldn’t believe who saved me! An elf! Tauriel, the red-haired guard.”

“The one who took us as prisoners?” Ori asked doubtfully.

“Yes, but she is much nicer that that. Well, perhaps ‘nicer’ is not the correct word. ‘Wonderful’ would be more fitting, or ‘indescribable’.”

“Well, I’m thankful she saved you,” Ori said, trying to keep his voice neutral despite the sinking feeling in his stomach. 

“Yes, so am I. Óin told me later how she had done it. I’ll tell you, her voice when speaking Elvish is amazing, even though I only heard it through a haze.” 

Ori could not even summon the energy to inform Kíli that there was more than one Elvish language as he usually would have. As his friend launched into a long description of the incomparable Tauriel, Ori tried to keep his face blank and continued to nod at all the right places. Though he still felt relief that Kíli was safe, his joy at Kíli’s return had turned stale. Ori rubbed his arms. He felt cold, as though all the heat the dragon had left under the mountain had been blown away by a cold wind and winter was settling in for good. 

 

Ori was among the first to settle in for the night. He curled up in his blanket in a corner, trying to will himself to stop shivering and fall asleep instead.

He could have cuddled up to the warmth of his brothers, but he felt rather disinclined to do so. He had only spoken with them as much are barely necessary since they had made him abandon Kíli when he had needed Ori most. Not that Ori would have been able to do much. After all, he wasn’t an _elf_. 

“Ori?”

Ori quickly wiped away the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes.

It wasn’t Kíli, of course not. As much as Kíli could brighten anybody’s day, he wasn’t particularly good at realising when someone wasn’t feeling well or when he had hurt somebody. Not that it was Kíli’s fault that he had fallen in love with an elf or that Ori felt the way he did about Kíli. It wasn’t like Ori hadn’t done his best to hide how much it hurt him either.

“Are you alright?” Fíli sat down next to him.

“I’m fine. Just tired,” Ori replied. 

“I’m sorry. My brother is blind, and an idiot.”

Ori stared at Fíli.

“You know?”

“I saw your reaction when he told you about what had happened in Lake-town,” Fíli replied. “But I already knew before that.”

There was a brief flash of hurt in Fíli’s eyes before he managed to train his face into a neutral expression again.

“Fíli...”

Fíli turned his head away. “Don’t. This is not about me, I’m used to it.”

Ori wanted to ask how long Fíli had felt like this and how long he had known, but as guilty as he felt about it, he didn’t feel up to hearing the answer to it, not today. 

“I’m sorry,” Ori said instead.

Fíli smiled sadly. “Don’t be, it’s not your fault.”

“Well, then it’s not Kíli’s fault either. And I’m as much of an idiot as he is.”

Fíli laughed. “I think we’re all idiots.”

Ori nodded. “Probably.”

He wrapped the blanket around himself more tightly as they listened to Bofur singing a song in the space they had decided would be the kitchen for the time being, the cheerful tune rather at odds with how they felt.

“You’re shivering,” Fíli noticed. 

“I’m a bit cold,” Ori replied, as if it wasn’t obvious.

“Do you want me to...” Fíli asked, gesturing.

Ori wondered if huddling under a blanket together would be a good idea, given the circumstances. It was not that he was worried Fíli would try to take advantage of the situation, he knew Fíli too well for that. But he did not want Fíli to be hurt even more, he knew he wouldn’t have been able to stand sharing a blanket with Kíli right now.

“If you’re sure...” 

Fíli nodded and crawled under the blanket with Ori. Carefully, he wrapped an arm around Ori to warm him and Ori leaned into his warmth thankfully. 

“Why aren’t you sharing with Dori and Nori?” Fíli asked quietly.

“They made me leave Lake-town.”

Fíli chuckled. “They probably thought they could protect you from dragon fire if they only kept you close enough.”

Ori rolled his eyes. “Probably. I don’t think they’ll ever realise that I’m not a little dwarfling anymore.”

“No, probably not.” Fíli turned serious again. “But you weren’t harmed by Smaug’s wrath?”

“I’m fine,” Ori said. It wasn’t as if he would be sitting there if he wasn’t, but Fíli’s need to hear it for himself was nice, without being overbearing like Ori’s brothers. “What about you?”

“I got a splinter on the boat,” Fíli replied drily.

Ori had to laugh at his tone. “Does it hurt badly?” 

“No, even though I decided against letting Smaug blow on it to make it better.”

“A wise decision,” Ori said and could feel Fíli shaking with mirth against him.

Ori closed his eyes, the cold finally having drained from his body. Thinking about Kíli still hurt, but at least he felt warm and comfortable. 

“Fíli?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you.”

Fíli pulled him closer and Ori leaned his head against his shoulder. He was finally starting to feel drowsy and was more than prepared to put this entire mess out of his head until tomorrow.

“You’re welcome,” Fíli replied and Ori started drifting off, lulled to sleep by Fíli’s steady breaths.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m currently taking Christmas/Yuletide/winter requests/prompts over on Dreamwidth! If you’re interested, read more here: <https://octopus-fool.dreamwidth.org/2017/12/03/>


End file.
